Mr. Yoji Muto, State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, visited the France Republic to attend the 2017 International Energy Agency (IEA) Ministerial Meeting. He also held side meetings with ministers and officials of participating countries.

1. 2017 IEA Ministerial Meeting

On November 7 (Tue.) and 8 (Wed.), 2017, State Minister Muto attended the 2017 IEA Ministerial Meeting. Focusing on the theme “Bolstering energy security for sustainable global growth,” the meeting brought together 30 member countries, including newly acceded Mexico, as well as nine non-member countries, and participants held discussions concerning global energy security, transitions to clean energy, and other issues.

Key points of the outcome document （Summary of the Chair） of the meeting are as follows.

（1）Concerning bolstering energy security, ministers reaffirmed that the IEA's oil stockholding obligation is critical, and ministers requested that the IEA promote its close collaboration with non-member countries and further contribute to enhancing gas and electricity security.

（2）To support efforts of participating countries concerning clean energy, ministers endorsed further strengthening the IEA's role as the global clean energy hub and agreed on promotion of public and private investment in innovation.

（3）Concerning strengthened collaboration with non-member countries, including emerging economies in Asia, ministers welcomed the progress made in the existing efforts and agreed on the promotion of further discussion for future cooperation.

In particular, key points of Japan's statement are as follows.

（1）Japan stated that diversified, multilayered energy systems are significant in securing energy security. In particular, Japan, as the world's largest LNG importer, explained its efforts for vitalizing the LNG market.

（2）Concerning promotion of transitions to clean energy, Japan stated that comprehensive efforts are important considering not only renewable energy and energy conservation but also nuclear power generation and highly-efficient thermal power generation.

（3）Concerning collaboration with non-IEA member countries, Japan expressed the importance of the IEA's contribution to developing oil stockholding and other systems, and stated that Japan will continue to cooperate with support measures mainly for countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Moreover, State Minister Muto attended a CCUS （carbon capture, utilization and storage） Summit, held prior to the 2017 IEA Ministerial Meeting, and explained Japan's efforts for supporting companies in developing business overseas taking advantage of Japan's outstanding CCUS technologies, and also explained bilateral cooperation, e.g., Japan-U.S. collaboration. At the summit meeting, participants agreed that public and private stakeholders in participating countries should collaborate to accelerate development of CCUS projects worldwide and should contribute to decreasing global greenhouse gas emissions.

2. Meetings with ministers and officials of participating countries and organizations

（1）Meeting with H.E. Mr. Pedro Joaquin Coldwell, Secretary of Energy, Mexico
State Minister Muto welcomed the accession of Mexico to the IEA, and both sides exchanged views concerning future enhancement of Japan-Mexico energy cooperation and other issues.

（2）Meeting with H.E. Mr. Richard Harrington, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the United Kingdom
Both sides exchanged views concerning future directions of Japan-UK energy cooperation.

（3）Meeting with H.E. Ms. Brune Poirson, Minister of State, attached to the Ministre d’Etat, Minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition, France
Both sides exchanged views concerning dissemination of next-generation vehicles and other issues.